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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J DAROY IRVINE PNEUMATIC APPARATUS FOR THROWING LIFE LINES.

No. 433,674. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. DAROY-IRVINE. PNEUMATIC APPARATUS FOR THROWING LIFE LINES. No. 433,674. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN DARCY-IRVINE, OF HOVTH, COUNTY OF DUBLIN, IRELAND.

PNEUMATIC APPARATUS FOR THROWING LIFE-LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,674, dated August 5, 1890.

Application filed January 8, 1889. $erial No. 295,782. (No model.) Patented in England February 3, 1888, No. 1,609.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN DAROY-IRVINE,

of Howth, in the county of Dublin, Ireland, a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Throwing Lines, (patented in England February 3,1888, No. 1,609,) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. The invention relates to apparatus for throwing a line to a distance by means of compressed air or other suitable elastic force for saving life at sea, throwing a line across a stream or ravine or into a burning building, and other similar purposes.

Heretofore lines have been thrown by firing from a gun or bymeans of the well-known rocket apparatus; but such means are often found inconvenient of application, owing to the weight and quantity of apparatus required, and are especially unsuitable for discharging from life-boats or from wrecks to the shore.

In carrying out my invention I use a species of air-gun, into the barrel, of which is inserted a projectile carrying a line which eX- tends longitudinally along the outside of the barrel'of the gun and passes through a collar large enough to slip over the outside of the barrel. The ends of the line are then knotted together, and to the loop thus formed is secured the line to be thrown, which is arranged conveniently ona bobbin, orotherwise, in close proximity to the apparatus.

The construction of the gun and projectile and manner of admitting compressed air, as also the method of holding and discharging the projectile, will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the gun with the projectile inserted in position. Fig. 2- is a sectional plan of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a vertical section of breech, showing a modification of the base end of the projectile. Figs. 4. and 5 show plan and side views of the projectile with line attached. Fig. 6 is a general View of the gun on its stand, showing the projectile in flight; and Fig. 7 is a detail view, e11- larged scale, of the disengaging-gear hereinafter more fully described.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views.

A shows the gun, in the breech of which is formed the air-chamber a, which is filled with compressed air through the opening a, the air. being retained in the gun by the screwvalve E.

B is the projectile, which is hollow and closed at its head, while its base is compressed nearly together or is otherwise provided with a small aperture b. The whole interior space I) is filled with compressed air when the gun is charged. The escape of this air will accelerat-e the flight of the projectile after it has been discharged from the gun.

The heavy head of the projectile is provided with an eye 6 through which the line L is passed. The ends of the line are then passed up and down through two or more smooth but vertical holes in the wings M on the collar M, which latter is slippedloosely over the barrel and adjusted forward or backward on the line, so that it may stand in the desired position relatively to the projectile.

WVhen the projectile leaves the gun, the pull on the line will cause the line to jam and remain immovable in the crooked channel provided in the wings h and'the collar will move forward withit, remaining in a fixed position on the line, and consequently maintaining a uniform position relatively to the projectile. This position may be adjusted as practice with any given style and weight of projectile andof line may require. I have shown it adjusted near the base or rear of the projectile.

The attachment of the line to the front of the projectile which protrudes from the gun insures that the line shall start at the same time as the projectile, and shall gradually increase its velocity as the projectile gathers way. This avoids breaking the line at the start.

The loose collarM, encircling the projectile farther rearward and having the line engaged with it, enables me to avoid the tendency to turn the projectile over during its flight, which would otherwise result from the backward and downward pull of the line attached to the head. I can, by proper adjustment of the position of the collar M, make such tension serve to'steady the position of the long projectile and cause it to point downward at about the same rate as its course through its curved path shall require to keep its axis exactly coinciding with its path. When adjusted near the rear of the projectile, as shown, its tension rearward holds the projectile forcibly in position, and as the forward part of the line is usually held by the air nearly in the line directly rearward, I believe this is the position for the collar M which will be generally preferable. My invention allows it to be adjusted as may be determined by practice to best attain the end.

The projectile is provided at its base with a screw-thread, which screws into the jaws O O, (forming a divided nut,) until the shoulder g on the projectile is tight against the seat or flange g, formed at the end of the barrel, whereby an air-tight joint is made. These jaws are caused to approach and retire by means of the right and left quick-threaded screws h h, Fig. 7, which work through stuffing-boxes p p in the side of the breech, and receive at their outer extremities a forked lever-handle D, by the movement of which the projectile is held or disengaged at pleasure. For convenience, the jaws are made round and prevented from turning by flats formed on the upper part thereof, against which the flat end surface of the screwed cap it slightly presses; or they may be made square and fitted into a square recess.

The action of the invention is, briefly, as follows: Having passed the line through the head of the projectile and thence through the collar M, the projectile is inserted in the gun, while at the same time the collar is slipped over the barrel. The lever-handle D is then moved, so as to cause the jaws to close in, forming a complete nut embracing the end of the projectile, a slight turn of which will then bring its shoulder g tight up to its seat g, the joint being made absolutely tight by a thin packing-ring fitted on the projectile, if found expedient. The gun is now charged with compressed air to the required extent and the valve tightly shut. The gun, now completely charged, can be conveyed to the spot where it is required or placed on a lifeboat. The line to be thrown being then arranged conveniently the apparatus is ready for discharging. To discharge it, the leverhandle D is moved in the reverse, direction to the first, causing the jaws to retire, and thus disengage the projectile, which is then expelled by the compressed air imparting to it the high velocity necessary to carry it and the end of the attached line to a great distance.

The line, by being extended upward and downward through the holes m, allows the collar M to be readily adjusted forward and backward to fix the collar in any desired position relatively to the barrel. It keeps the same relative position on the projectile during its flight, except that the violence of the movement in starting stretches the line between these wings and the front of the projectile to a great tension and allows the collar to take a position considerably rearward of its loose position, to which it is set before starting. By properly allowing for such stretch the collar may be set to fly in a position coinciding with the center of gravity of the projectile, or even a little in front of that point, if it shall ever be judged expedient, or may be adjusted backward or forward of such center.

Instead of compressed air any suitable compressed gas may be usedas, for instance, the compressed hydrogen used for balloons.

That portion of my invention relating to the line attachment and collar M passing outside the barrel of the gun may also be applied in the case of projectiles with lines fired from ordinary guns.

It will be understood that the details may be variously modified without departing from the principle of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In an apparatus for throwing lines, the F directing -tube A, provided with a strong chamber a for holding compressed air, and the valve E for allowing the air to be forced in and preventing its return, the clamps 0, having screw-threads on their inner ends adapted to allow the seat of the projectile to be tightened by turning the projectile, and the forked hand lever D, and connected screws h, adapted to relax the hold of these clamps to allow the discharge, all combined and arranged to serve substantially as herein specified.

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2. In an apparatus for throwing lines, the

directing-tube A, elongated projectile B, extending the whole length thereof and projecting at the muzzle, the ring or collar M, mounted loosely on the tube with liberty to move longitudinally thereon, and the line L,

attached to the front portion of the projectile, connected, also, to the collar, all combined and arranged to serve substantially as herein specified.

3. The collar M, having wings M, provided with holes m, and the line L, attached to the projectile near the front and passing through such holes, in combination with the barrel or directing-tube A, on which the collar makes a loose fit, adapted to allow the collar to be adjusted forward and backward relatively to the barrel and projectile at will, as herein specified.

Dated this 5th day of December, 1888.

JOHN DARCY-IRVINE.

SVitnesses:

J. L. McCAsKILL, U. S. Consul. ANGELO FAHIE,

C. E., 9 Westla ml Row, Dublin. 

